Self-Love Equals Self-Care

1) You are the most important person in your life and you need to take care of yourself so you don’t look for fulfillment in your partner. Think about things that make you happy in life. Is it going for a walk in nature or strolling the water’s edge or listening to music? Maybe you enjoy reading, even writing? Do it.

2) Meditation is showing up for yourself and helps to ensure that your happiness and love come from within. To focus on yourself, be still and present in the moment. Start with slow, deep breathing, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth and then repeat the exercise for at least five minutes in the morning increasing it throughout the day until you develop a habit of being in tune with yourself. The quality of your life is measured by the questions you ask yourself, such as how you feel at different times and in different situations. By asking yourself questions, you will receive the answers that you need. As an exercise, think of five things that make you feel good and do as many of them as possible today and tomorrow.

3) Have a plan for yourself every day and make your decisions based on the outcomes you are looking for. If you have failed in the past, mistakes become learning tools. Use that experience to create what you need to take better care of you. Albert Einstein has been attributed with saying, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Use your mistakes and failures as feedback so you don’t repeat them in the future. Learn to meditate and live in the moment because only you can create the everlasting, exhilarating joy that you are meant to have in your life. Be aware of your feelings, space, and strengths. Get clarity on what you want to accomplish. Plan to learn one thing each day, even if it is only one new word and its definition. The more knowledge and understanding you acquire, the more flexibility you’ll have in life because you have given yourself more options to make yourself happy and thrive.

4) All too often, we are our own worst enemy because we criticize our motives and decisions. Self-blame has no role here. Learn to love and accept yourself for who you are. You were born to be unique and special. There is no one like you in this world, even if you have a twin. Respect yourself and appreciate your individuality. Life is all about respecting and appreciating people’s differences.